Automator Mac Documents into PDF: A Step-by-Step Guide

As a digital humanities scholar, I often find myself working with multiple files and documents on my Mac computer. Recently, I've been looking for ways to streamline my workflow by automating tasks that take up valuable time. One specific task I've been struggling with is converting multiple Mac documents into PDF format. In this article, I'll walk you through the process of using Automator to convert your files into PDFs and even add a step to move the original files to the trash upon confirmation.

Step 1: Select Your Files

To begin, open the Finder on your Mac and select the documents you want to convert into PDF format. You can do this by clicking and dragging multiple files or by clicking on the first file and holding down the Shift key while selecting the last file in the range.

Step 2: Open Automator

Next, open Automator on your Mac by searching for it in Spotlight or finding it in the Applications folder. This will launch the Automator application window.

Step 3: Create a New Workflow

In the Automator window, select 'Workflow' as the type of document you want to create and click 'Choose.' Give your workflow a name and select 'PDF' as the output format.

Step 4: Add Actions

Now it's time to add actions to your workflow. In the Library panel on the left-hand side, search for 'PDF' and drag the 'Create PDF from Files' action into the workflow area. This will convert each file you selected earlier into a PDF document.

Step 5: Add a Prompt Action

To add a prompt that asks if you'd like to move the original files to the trash, select 'Run Shell Script' from the Library panel and drag it into the workflow area. In the script editor, enter the following code:

`osascript -e 'tell application 'System Events'' -e 'set answer to (display dialog 'Do you want to move the original files to the trash?' with title 'Confirmation' buttons {'Cancel', 'OK'} default button 2)' -e 'if answer = 'OK' then tell application 'Finder' to delete POSIX file ((POSIX file path of (choose file)))'`

This code will prompt you to confirm whether you want to move the original files to the trash. If you click OK, it will delete the files.

Step 6: Save and Run Your Workflow

Finally, save your workflow by clicking 'File' > 'Save' or pressing Command+S. To run your workflow, select all the files you selected earlier in the Finder and right-click (or control-click) on them. Select 'Services' > 'Workflow' > 'Your Workflow Name'. This will convert each file into a PDF document and prompt you to confirm whether you want to move the original files to the trash.

By following these steps, you can automate the process of converting multiple Mac documents into PDF format using Automator. Whether you're a digital humanities scholar or simply looking for ways to streamline your workflow, this guide should help you achieve your goals.

Automator mac documents into pdf